1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trash container locking apparatus and method for releasably locking a trash bin lid in a closed position.
2. Related Art
Owners of large size or commercial trash bins as used for businesses, stores, apartments, and the like often experience difficulty in preventing unauthorized use of the bins. Waste disposal costs are increased by unauthorized individuals dumping trash into the bins. In view of this, various locking systems have been proposed in the past for preventing dumping of trash in such bins by unauthorized individuals. However, such locking systems often make it difficult for authorized users to gain access to the bin, and also cause difficulty to refuse collectors.
Some trash bins have automatic locks which release when the bin is inverted to dump trash, but re-lock automatically when the bin is returned to an upright position and the lid is closed. This is hazardous to children who may be playing in the area, as well as homeless individuals, who may become locked in the bin after the lid is closed. There is also a risk that children may become accidentally locked in such bins while playing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,382 of Dawdy et al. describes a locking mechanism for a refuse container which has a locking bar pivotally attached to the container and movable between a locked position preventing opening of the container lid and an open position in which it is rotated out of the way of the lid. When a locking fixture on the mechanism is engaged, the locking bar cannot be manually pivoted, but it can be pivoted by the force of a collection truck boom. The lock may be disengaged by a key allowing manual pivoting of the locking bar into the open position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,724 of Serio describes a U-shaped locking member which is pivoted to the side walls of a container. The member pivots over the lid in order to lock the lid closed. A locking mechanism holds the U-shaped member in this position.
Other trash bin locking systems are known which involve a bar pivotally mounted on the container and rotatable between a position extending over the lid to hold it closed, and a position rotated down against the front wall of the container, leaving the lid free to open. The bar is normally locked by a padlock or the like in the closed position. A problem with such a system is that the bar pivots freely when released, such that when the bin is inverted to dump trash into a trash truck, the bar tends to drop down and get in the way of the lid or the trash itself. Also, such a system is still subject to the risk of homeless individuals entering the bin to sleep if the lid is left open, and then closing the lid. Authorized individuals may then rotate the bar over the lid and lock it in place, trapping the person in the trash bin.
Another problem with bar locking systems is that trash bins come in various sizes, so that the bars must be custom-made for the specific containers or must be adjustable to accommodate different container sizes. In one known system, separate left and right arms are provided for pivotally mounting on opposite side walls of a trash container adjacent the lid and the front end wall. One of the arms has an opening for alignment with a padlock holder when rotated into a locked position. The on-site installer must first attach the arms to the opposite ends of the container, and then cut a pipe to the desired length for spanning the front wall of the container between the free ends of the two arms. At that point, the pipe must be welded to the arms. This is a fairly labor intensive process which is subject to error. It also has the problem that the pipe is free to flop around, potentially catching on the lid and preventing it from opening, when the container is inverted in order to dump trash.
In our prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,053, a trash container locking apparatus is described in which a locking arm is configured to extend across the width of a trash container adjacent the upper, front end of the container, and has bent end portions pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the container. This allows the arm to be pivoted between a first position extending over the closed lid of the container to hold it closed, and a second position extending across the front of the container so that the lid can be freely opened. The arm is lockable in both the first and second position by means of spaced locking plates on one side wall of the container which are positioned for engagement with locking flanges on the bent end portion of the locking arm when the arm is in the first and second position, respectively. One problem with this arrangement is that there are three separate components to be mounted on the side wall of the trash container, specifically the pivot bracket and the first and second locking plates, and these must be positioned precisely relative to one another for proper operation of the locking apparatus. This makes retrofitting of existing trash containers somewhat difficult.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that overcomes these significant problems found in the conventional systems as described above.